When It Rains
by Missy Padfoot
Summary: One-Shot: Time are tough for Alice and Frank Longbottom.


**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. JK Rowling owns it all.

**Author's Note: **This isn't my usual thing... but um, I made this for as challenge for a graphics site I'm on, and well... I'm posting it here as well. I kinda hated writing this... so um... I hope it's not horrible. Please review, if you have time. :)

When It Rains

Alice sighed in frustration in her chair. She was staring out the window, out into the dark and windy sky. It spooked her; the whistling and rattling of the windows as the wind just seemed to get stronger and stronger. The only light she had was from the lamp beside her for her reading, but she truly wasn't paying attention to her book. It was all a cover for waiting up for Frank.

Often times, he arrived extremely late. Suspiciously late, one would say. He sometimes couldn't confide with her everything about his investigations, just like she couldn't with her's. But this was their first year in the Auror department and they weren't expected to hardly take on the amount of assignments Frank was taking care of.

And these were tough times in the Wizarding World. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was only getting stronger and stronger, his terror reaching out beyond the confines of their magical world.

These were desperate times, there was no doubt about it. This was what Frank told her every time she asked about his workload.

Finally, she sat up as she heard the recognizable 'pop' of apparation and her heart was filled with relief. It was a dangerous living they had after all.

Frank came in through the door, his brown hair wild from the wind he had encountered outside.

He gave a soft and tired smile as he saw her sitting there.

He took of his cloak and shook it, dead leaves fell out of the hood down to the hard wood floors.

"How are you, love?" He headed towards the kitchen to look for something to snack on before he went to sleep.

"I left a bit of roast your mother brought earlier atop the stove." Alice called from the other room. She put her book down and went to the kitchen to help Frank for anything.

Frank had already served himself some of the leftovers and Alice quickly casted a heating charm on the food for him. He smiled gratefully. He was dead tired and Alice knew that feeling.

They sat down at the kitchen table, Alice held Frank's hand lovingly. "Did everything go well? It's a bit later than usual." Its was a little over three in the morning.

Frank sighed weakly. "Better than yesterday."

Alice frowned, remembering what happened the day before. Two families were murdered.  
"That doesn't say much."

Frank shrugged. He didn't want to talk about it.

For the first time in her life, Alice truly felt old. Everyday seemed to have the same routine, though roles changed at times. Sometimes it was Alice who came home, tired and not wanting to discuss the horrors she had to face that day.

Frank seemed to have finished and he walked over to the kitchen once agin to place his plate in the sink.

"Frank I--" Alice came up to him again and looked at him in his eyes. Eyes showing distress for their situation.

Suddenly, little thumping noises came from the roof. "It's raining." Frank commented, avoiding what Alice wanted to talk about.

"Frank--"

"Did you know that when it rains, it's cleansing the world of our sins? It's a sign of purity, they say."

Alice frowned. She didn't want to talk about the damn weather, damn it. "I don't think--"

"I know what you're feeling Alice. I do. But these are tough times. Sometimes... the stress really builds up. But... we're really helping the world. I think that we have a bigger role than just to play husband and wife."

Alice looked down at the ground. "Will we ever have a family? I want to see the joy of life, not the devastation of death and all that comes with it. I want to see something more."

"So do I."

They were silent for a moment. The raining poured harder and Alice felt like weeping.

"Its alright." Frank kissed her head. "sometimes, we need to let the stress go."

And Alice cried, hoping to cleanse her soul from the sadness she knew as life.


End file.
